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Wadena-DC upends Barnesville to open season

The official looks in as Wadena-Deer Creek's Jayson Young works for the fall at 138 pounds. Young earned the fall win, helping the Wolverines to the dual meet victory. Becky Wedde/Pioneer Journal

The Wadena-Deer Creek wrestling team raced out of the gates earning a 41-34 victory over the Barnesville Trojans in their season-opening dual meet in Barnesville on Nov. 30.

It was a stern test for the Wolverines against a perennially tough Trojan squad. The Trojans are expected to be a darkhorse to contend for the Section 6A title, returning 10 section place winners and a state qualifier.

It’s a strong start for the Wolverines, who are hoping to make the jump into the upper echelon of Section 6A.

The Wolverines started with a pair of forfeit wins at 106 and 113 were Simon Snyder and Bel Snyder were victorious, respectively.

Barnesville got on the board with a fall win at 120, which was followed by a run of three straight pins by the Wolverines. Chase Godel defeated Wyatt Roller at 126 with a fall, just before the match was about to end. Colton Knudson followed with a fall over Hunter Anderson at 132. Jayson Young worked over Nate Rehder for a fall win at 138, giving the Wolverines a commanding lead in the dual.

Barnesville came back with a major decision win and a fall win at 145 and 152, but the Wolverines stopped the momentum. Cody Wheeler earned a 15-0 tech fall win over Cole Swenson at 160.

The Trojans earned a win at 170, but Steven Erkenbrack picked up a forfeit win at 182, before Barnesville earned back-to-back falls at 195 and 220. The heavyweight match was a double forfeit.

The Wolverines return to the mat with the annual Dennis Kaatz Wolverine Memorial Tournament on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 10:30 a.m.

Groth is a Minnesota Newspaper Association award-winning Sports Editor of the Perham Focus and the Wadena Pioneer Journal. Groth worked in Grand Rapids as the Sports Director at KOZY/KMFY radio for two years and prior to that he was the Sports Editor/Writer for the Grand Rapids Herald-Review for seven years.